Bluffton University

School Description

At Bluffton, you can be assured of exceptional undergraduate, graduate and continuing and professional education programs.

Embodied in our four enduring values of discovery, community, respect and service, you'll find a character-building education that helps you achieve your personal and professional goals for use in a global market. Grounded in the Mennonite values of peacemaking and service, Bluffton's faith tradition serves as a useful framework for your personal exploration and faith development. In other words, at Bluffton you'll develop Christian values for a global community.

Home to a multifaceted student body of more than 1,100, Bluffton is situated on 65 acres of lush, wooded grounds that line the banks of the Little Riley Creek in the village of Bluffton, Ohio. You'll quickly feel a part of our campus community as you develop relationships with peers and dedicated faculty.

As an undergraduate student, our active student life makes it easy to make new friends in the close-knit, welcoming atmosphere of your home-away-from-home.

Academic Programs

Bluffton's approach to learning within its academic programs merges meaningful, personal interactions with textbook study, lectures, campus activities, service opportunities and cross-cultural options that will take you throughout the United States and the world.

Career Advancement

Our graduate and continuing education programs make it possible to complete your degree while balancing work, family, church and other commitments. Graduate and continuing education classes are conveniently offered in Bluffton, Archbold and Piqua, Ohio.

The Bluffton Difference

Bluffton is affiliated with the Mennonite Church-USA, however the majority of Bluffton students are not Mennonite. This creates an atmosphere where all students are invited to explore and come to own their own beliefs.

Our History

Situated on the banks of Little Riley Creek in Bluffton, a small town in northwest Ohio, Bluffton University was founded in 1899 as Central Mennonite College. As the cornerstone was laid for the school's first building, Noah C. Hirschy, Bluffton's first president, concluded his remarks with an idea that has proved as durable as the structure itself: "Let us expect great things." We have, and we continue to do so.

While Bluffton is affiliated with Mennonite Church USA, its students, faculty, staff and alumni are not necessarily Mennonite. Elmer Neufeld, the university's seventh president observed "Bluffton should not be seen as somehow less than Mennonite for its diversity, but rather more than Mennonite, with a stronger Christian peace church witness growing out of this experience."

Today, Bluffton continues to be committed to passing along our core values - discovery, community, respect and service - to each new generation of students.

OUR MISSION

"Shaped by the historic peace church tradition and nourished by a desire for excellence in all phases of its programs, Bluffton University seeks to prepare students of all backgrounds for life as well as vocation, for responsible citizenship, for service to all peoples and, ultimately, for the purposes of God's universal kingdom."

MENNONITE FAITH

Mennonites believe, with their Christian brothers and sisters, in the great affirmations of faith: God becoming human, the lordship of Christ, the power of the Gospel, the work of the Holy Spirit and the authority of the scriptures.

In the Mennonite heritage, these beliefs have led to distinctive emphases; faith is voluntary; Christians are called to a life of love, reconciliation and peacemaking; injustice is to be overcome with good; happiness is more than material well-being; moral authority is more than political power; life is to be lived simply; all of nature is a gift of God to be cherished with a sense of gratitude and stewardship; and loving, sacrificial service is the highest expression of faithfulness to Christ.